Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday of the year. I guess you could say that I’m a traditionalist who looks forward to food, family, and football, but beyond the basic joys that round out the day I also take the opportunity to reflect on the important things in life.

So to celebrate, there’s no long article but just a simple note of appreciation. I’m thankful for all of you in the Portfolio Charts family who follow along, share what you learn with others, support the effort, and generally make it rewarding to do this every day. You’re truly the best.

Following one more Thanksgiving tradition, it seems appropriate to offer a Black Friday discount for people looking for deals. For the next week from today through Cyber Monday, the Portfolio Charts Toolkit is a substantial 50% off. So if you’ve ever downloaded the free sample but were on the fence about buying the Toolkit to create the full suite of charts for your own data, now is a great time to make the leap.

That one small pitch aside, the holiday for me is about more than just an excuse to kick of the shopping season. So regardless of whether you’re a Toolkit person or just a happy Portfolio Charts reader, I hope you have a great week with much to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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I know minimalism has a bad reputation for some people, as often it feels like the idea is built around stripping away the small things that make life fun to the point where the world just seems sterile. Personally I think that’s the wrong mindset altogether. It’s not about eliminating the happy belongings around you. Like preferring loyal pets over decorative pillows, it’s simply about prioritizing the things that actually matter to you and moving on from the things that don’t.

I apply that productive minimalist approach in many aspects of my life, from my home surroundings to the activities I choose to fill my time. And even without me pointing it out, you can probably see it reflected in Portfolio Charts. In an online world where popups, banner ads, and distracting videos are the norm, a clean visual slate for helpful data has always been important to how the site operates.

I’ve been working a lot recently on the mechanics of the site to streamline the experience, make some nice improvements, and cut a few unimportant things away. Some of them are obvious, while others are a bit more subtle. In the spirit of minimalism I’ll keep it short and sweet, but here are a few changes to be aware of.

It’s amazing how time flies.

July this year marks the 9th year of Portfolio Charts, and so much has changed since my first meager posts ages ago. Not only has the site grown quite a bit, but so have my own skills and knowledge in the process. I appreciate each and every one of you for providing great feedback, supporting the effort, and helping to spread the word.

You’re truly the best.

In honor of the anniversary, I thought I’d try something new to show my continued thanks to the members who make everything possible. Starting today, there’s a new perk available that I hope you’ll enjoy. It’s called the Chart of the Month, and here’s how it works.

If you’ve ever remodeled a home, you understand how even the smallest change can sometimes spiral into something much larger. One fixture you love clashes with something else, so you create a short shopping list. When you start pulling things out you realize that you should probably replace the wiring and plumbing. If you’re going that far, you might as well remodel the entire room. And before you know it you have a new kitchen.

Upgrades can be unpredictable like that.

I recently had a similar experience working on some new tools at Portfolio Charts. It began with redesigning the Toolkit to add some new charts and make it much simpler to enter data without so many steps. The result was so useful that I realized I could apply it to the site infrastructure to make my job way easier. If I was going that far, I might as well make some interface changes that I’ve been thinking about for a while now. And before I knew it I updated nearly every page on the site.

If you only have a few minutes, here are the major changes to be aware of:

• All of the backtesting tools have a new interface with a more intuitive layout and built-in ETF-finding capabilities.

• Some data has been tweaked, like the shift from total stock market to large cap blend funds in portfolio definitions and the elimination of expense ratios. So the resulting numbers may be slightly different than before.

• Old bookmark links will no longer work, so you’ll need to save them again.

• The Toolkit is massively easier to use. If you ever downloaded a free sample, you may receive an email with a new one to tinker with. And Toolkit owners should be on the lookout for an email with a free update.

If that sounds interesting, the full upgrade list is pretty extensive. Read on to learn more.

Assembling thousands of investing datapoints is a lot like solving a puzzle, and there’s really nothing like the feeling of slotting the last piece into place. The tactile sensation of the perfect fit just can’t be beat. And after countless hours of work, you can finally stand back and see the full picture.

As I mentioned when I updated all of the site data in early January, the results were only preliminary as there are always a few data stragglers. Well, the official numbers are finally in. And beyond a few revised datapoints, I also took the opportunity to update the data methodology.

Here’s everything that changed.

No matter if it’s a fun new gadget or just some well-earned peace and quiet, I hope everyone received all they wanted for Christmas! And no, I haven’t forgotten about you. Now that we’re slowly easing back into normal routines, I have one more last-minute gift to round out the holiday.

The 2023 portfolio data has arrived!

Here’s a quick summary of everything you can expect to find.

One of the quirks of being an engineer who is still quite creative is that there’s always a natural tension when it comes to tidiness. For example, my desk is usually a chaotic collection of notes, sketches, and various new items that build up over time. But there eventually comes a day when I reach my breaking point and my left brain kicks in to remind me that it’s time for a cleanup to get organized and make space for new ideas.

At Portfolio Charts, that day is today.

The main thing that instigated the changes was the need to improve the organization to make everything easier to find. There were charts in the portfolio section, supplies in the charts section, and a lot of the documentation for how things work was buried deep enough that people had trouble finding it. It all made sense at the time, but just like my desk it eventually grew into a hot mess.

To fix all of that, I’ve been working behind the scenes recently on a bit of a reorganization. Here are a few updates to be aware of.

I’ve always been the type of person who can usually make do in any situation. But whenever you go on a long hike, it doesn’t take long to appreciate the value of the right gear. A nice pair of shoes or a good hat with proper protection from the sun can make all the difference in the world between a fun adventure and a painful slog. The little things really do help.

So in the spirit of supplying the right items for our individual financial journeys, I’ve just launched a new section of the site — Supplies. It’s not totally new, of course, as it’s really more of a re-launch of an old section that has been through a few iterations since I first rolled out the idea. But after a lot of work trying different things and refining the experience, I think it’s finally on the right track.

The best way to understand it is just to jump right in and explore. But here are a few high points to look for.